OBJECTIVETo observe sclerotic dentin bonding interfacial nanoleakage used total-etching system and self-etching system by confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM).

METHODS12 maxillary bicuspids with non-caries, natural cervical sclerotic lesions were divided into three groups. Artifically prepared wedge-shaped lesions were made in 12 sound maxillary bicuspids and divided into three groups as controls. Three kinds of dentin bonding agents, Single Bond (SB), Clearfil SE Bond (CB) and Xeno III (XB), were applied on the surface of the wedge-shaped lesion dentins according to the manufacturer' s instruction. The apical foramens were occluded with self-curing resin. Six specimen groups were individually exposed to 0.1% rhodamine B isothiocyanate in 50% alcohol solutions for 24 h. Then the teeth were section using slow saw and observed the specimens under CLSM.

RESULTSTwo-way ANVOA revealed significant influence of both type of the dentin substrate and the adhesive systems tested on the lengths of the dye-penetrated pathways, representing the amount of nanoleakage (P < 0.05). The lengths of the dye-penetrated pathways were longer in SB than in CB and XB, whatever in normal dentin or sclerotic dentin (P < 0.05). While the extension of nanoleakage were similar in CB and XB (P > 0.05). There was no statistical significance in the amount of nanoleakage in normal dentin and sclerotic dentin using SB (P = 0.148). In CB and XB, the amounts of nanoleakage in normal dentin were higher than in sclerotic dentin (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe nanoleakage phenomena of bonding interface were observed in three bonding adhesives. In sclerotic dentin bonding interfaces, these nanoleakage phenomenon were located among resin and normal dentin as well as sclerotic dentin.